Graphics Programs Reference
In-Depth Information
Chapter 16
Layout 3: Character
Animation
In the previous chapter we examined the
basic tools used to create
any
type of anima-
tion. In this chapter, we'll look at the tools
designed specifically for
character
anima-
tion. The principles of character animation
are the same in every major 3D package.
We'll be discussing those here first. Once
we've looked at the basics, however, we'll
delve into more advanced topics such as
using Joint Compensation, Muscle Flexing,
and LightWave 8's powerful new IK
Booster tool.
ABrief Introduction to Character
Animation
Computer animation has come a long way
over the past 20 years. Those who've been
working in this field from the start will tell
you how difficult it was in those days to get
a simple character built, let alone animated.
But today, 3D programs such as LightWave
offer a number of highly advanced tools,
giving you everything you need to bring
your characters to life. And by definition,
that's what animation is: the illusion of life.
You create this illusion through the use of
highly advanced technologies. Chief among
these are bones, forward kinematics, and
inverse kinematics.
bones (such as those in your arms, legs,
hands, and feet) and 3D bones. In the real
world, bones act as the framework for your
body. That framework determines your
overall shape. Think about it: Without
bones, you would be nothing but a large
blob of skin sitting on the floor. But in the
3D world, that's not so. A character without
bones does not go limp when it's taken out
of Modeler and brought into Layout. That's
because its overall form is determined by
its polygonal mesh. So what purpose do
bones serve in the 3D world? Well, here
bones are used to deform a mesh by affect-
ing its position, rotation, and scale.
Bones are created using the various
tools available in LightWave. You can use a
single bone to animate a character, or you
can create a hierarchy of bones to allow for
a greater range of motion. Generally speak-
ing, the number of bones you'll need for any
Bones and Rigs
Nearly all computer-based character anima-
tion is accomplished through the use of
bones. If this is your first experience with
character animation, it's important to
understand the difference between real
